News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-01
STEWARDS BODY SAFE.
SAFE NOW IN THE CATHEDRAL
CRYPT
Ex-Superintendent Walling's Re
markabIe Story of it's Recovery.

| IODDeIy Vi blIe grave VI II. L. DteMd
and an account of the effort to recovt
the body, and the final success of th
| endeayor.
The narrative opens with the excli
nation "My God?" uttered by Fran
Parker, the assistant sexton of old 81
Marks Church, ''an hour after daw
one wet and gloomy Wednesday in Nc
vember, 1873, when he discovered tina
the body had been stolen. Parker sum
moned Sexton Hamill, who fastened t.
Judge Hilton's house with the news.
"The vault has been robbed, sir; MI
Stewards body has been taken away.
am sorry" This was thirty month
after the burial. Judge Hilton callec
on Superintendent Walling and the ia
nous search for the body was begun
Inspectors Murray and Dilks were pu
on the case. On the following morning
O reward of $25, 900 was offered by Mr.
Hilton at Mrs. Stewards direction fo
the return of the body and for informa
ton which would lead to the conviction
of the guilty persons. A liberal reward
was offered for information.
The exact story of the recovery of the
body Mr.. Walling next says he nov
tells for the first time. 1t is set dow
as being narrated by gentleman Sin +
position to know the facts Judge
Hilton had remained firm in his deter
mination not to compound a felony,
as be expressed it; but Mrs. Stewart
nights became almost sleepless with
anxiety.
"She was well-nigh driven insane.
Correspondence with the robbers was
therefore resumed, but no trace of the
body or the thieves was found until
General Jones called at Police Head,
quarters. The writer goes on:
He brought with him parcel and
showed me the contents. They were
the silver knobs and several of the han
dies belonging to the coffin in which the
body had been buried. He also showed
me some letters which he had received.
They purported to have been written in
Canada and were signed by "Henry G.
Romaine. With the first letter hun
dred-dollar bill was inclosed as a re-
tainer for him to act as attorney for the
return of the body, upon the payment
of $250,000.
The letter purported to give an exact
account of the theft of the body at mid
night on November 9th and its being
taken in a grocer's wagon to a grave
yard at One-hundred- -and-sixtieth street,
whence it was transported to Pittsburg
and then to Canada, where it was bur
led. The letter went on as follows:
Except that the eyes have disap-
peared, the flesh is as firm and the fea-
lures as natural as the day of the inter
ment, and can therefore be instantly
identified. The inclosed piece of paper
is exactly the size of the piece of velvet
taken from the coffin, while the small
strip sent you will prove to be of the
same piece as that on the coffin.
This letter explaining how General
Jones had come in possession of the
piece of paper contained also sugges-
tions relative to the use of "personals"
in New York daily newspaper by
which to carry on negotiations. The
coffin-plate was to be sent in answer to
a certain form of personal. The per-
5onal was inserted, and the next an
swer, signed by ''Romaine,' purpoEted
to come from Boston.
Another personal was inserted by Mr..
Jones, who again wrote to ''Romaine,
agreeing finally to act as counsel and
saying that Judge Hilton was anxious
to recover the body. Then the follow
ing demand was made on "Romaine's"
part through Jones:
1. The amount to be paid shall be
100000.
2. The body will be delivered to your
self and Judge Hilton within twenty
i've miles of the city of Montreal, and
40 other person shall be present.
3. The money to be placed in your
hands or under your control until Judge
Hilton is fully satisfied, when you will
deliver it to my representative.
4. Both parties to maintain forever
IN unbroken silence in regard to the
These are the first, last and only
;erms which will ever receive attention.
Having communicated the contents
If this letter to Judge Hilton you will
await his decision.
Judge Hilton refused the terms and
declined to have anything more to do
With personals "Romaine" then
ordered Jones to close negotiations
With Judge Hilton and open them with
Mrs. Stewart. No notice was taken of
he request, but Judge Hilton next
made an offer of $25, 900 for the body.
This closed the correspondence.
Mr.. Walling concludes the narrative
is follows:
But the distracted widow and her rel
ltives without the consent of Judge
Hilton opened negotiations on her own
account. The lawyer was still the me-
lium of communication with the ghouls.
FOiled in their first attempt to secure
money, they had become partly dis
and now, instead of expect
ing $200,000 were willing to dispose of
their dreadful booty for half that sum.
Mrs Stewart, after wakeful night,
gave orders to have the offer accepted;
but her representatives obtained re-
luction of the price to 800, 900, which
sum they agreed to pay. The condi-
ions of the delivery were made quite
rs severe as those which accompanied
;he negotiations for the return of Char
ey Ross. The criminals declined to
take any chances. They did not de-
nand that the money be flung from q
lying train in a leathern bag without
my guarantee, but the man with the
money had to surrender himself abso-
utely into the han s of the robbers,
,rusting to the'r "honor."
He was to leave New York City at 10
o'clock at night alone i'll a one-horse
wagon and drive into Westchester coun-
y along a lonely road which the rob-
0ers indicated on Il map which they sent
Sometime before morning."
f the man was acting in good faith and
vao pt ia1 or fol lowed NV do
ectives, he would be met and given fur
,hur directions.
A young relative of Mrs. Stewart un-
lertook the hazardous errand and drove
'ut into the country. Two or three
Zines during the night he became GER
ain that he was closely watched, but
t was three o'clock when q masked
lorseman rode up, gave the signal
lgreed on and turned the buggy up a
onely lane. The strange visitor here
eft him, directing him to drive on. AT
he end of fanother mile he became aware
hat another wagon was blocking the
way. He paused. A masked man
appeared and brought for
ward bag to his buggy, saying, "Here
tbs; where's the money 2"
w mere Is Ihe pIOOl VI IuehGlGy
Isked the messenger, as the bag con-
aiming the mortal remains of A. L.
Stewart was lifted into the buggy.
"Here!" said the other, holding up
IN irregular bit of velvet, and opening
! bull's-eye lantern upon it with click.
The piece was compared with a bit of
PAPER of the same shape which the
New Yorker had brought with him to
his lonely spot,